My Favorite Things at Trader Joes: Refrigerated

Trader Joe's is one of my favorite stores to shop at. I do the bulk of my shopping here. For starters, they claim to not use foods that are GMO (genetically modified), plus they offer many high quality or novelty items at very reasonable prices.

I am often asked about my favorite items when shopping at Trader Joe's, so I thought it would be fun to compile my favorite (and possibly not so favorite) things at Trader Joe's. What are your favorite things to purchase here?

First up are my top 5 Refrigerated Items:

Trader Joe's Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon
Who doesn't like bacon? My late mother-in-law was allergic to it, but other than allergies, there are no excuses. TJs bacon is uncured (read: nitrate free), and cooks up crisp and flavorful. While it's not super thick, it's also not a paper thin pathetic excuse for bacon that some stores sell.
The only downside is that there are about 8 slices in a pack, which is enough for one meal. Stinker, my 4 year old, once commented about a meal I had prepared that "I can't eat this. It doesn't have bacon."
Better buy two packs :)  

Trader Joe's Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

I buy these about once a month as a treat for breakfast, and we look forward to them all month! They're sweet but not overly so, with a perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar. Plus, the frosting is fabulous. I cook these a little longer than noted, just because I don't like undercooked, soggy dough, and the result is a firm exterior and soft, fluffy interior, dripping with just enough frosting to satisfy an early morning sweet tooth.

Trader Joe's Peeled Garlic

Okay, I don't normally buy produce at TJs, but these peeled garlic packets are ingenious. Each packet contains several cloves of peeled garlic, vacuum sealed for freshness. Brilliant!

Trader Joe's Mirepoix

Again, not normally a produce shopper at TJs, (it's shipped in, and not always as fresh as can be), but this combination of pre-cut carrots, onions, and celery make my life so much easier when I need to throw together a quick soup or stew. Cutting veggies takes me forever, so this pack of pre-cut veggies literally shaves 25 minutes off my prep time. If you can chop veggies like a whiz, skip this, but if you like convenience or need a quick prep meal, this is wonderful.

Trader Joe's Cilantro Salad Dressing

I struggle finding salad dressings I love, but this dressing is so versatile, I always have it on hand. Delicious on a salad sprinkled with tortilla strips, I also use it as a sauce for fish tacos, and it is the ultimate dipping sauce for these amazing Southwestern Egg Rolls.

Runners Up:

• Pizza Dough-The plain is great. I can't say the same for the whole wheat or herb. I'd still rather make my own dough, but in a pinch this is good.
• Cheese-Trader Joe's cheese is priced pretty well compared to the grocery store. They also have a wonderful selection.
• Biscuits and Croissants-These refrigerated gems taste just like, scratch that, better than Pillsbury without all the preservatives.
• Pre-Cut Veggies-These can be hit-or-miss. Pick them up if convenience is necessary.
• Deli Meat-I don't really buy meat at TJs, haven't had the best experiences, but the lunch meat is nitrate free and preservative free and actually pretty good quality. I like to buy pepperoni here for our homemade pizza.

Join us next time to see which Snack Foods made the list of my favorite things at Trader Joe's!

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